Machine for opening packs or piles of metal plates



vJuly 15 w. l. JENKINS,` SR

MACHINE FR OPENING PACKS ORYPILES OF METAL PLATES Filed Apii 15 1921 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l `Iuly 15, 1924 1,501,781

w. JENKINS. SR

MACHINE FOR OPENING PACKS OR PILES OF METALPLTES Patented July 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM L. JENKINS, SR., OF NILES, OHIO.

MACHINE FOR OPENING PACKS OR PILES OF METAL PLATES.

Application led April 15, 1921.

T all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. JENKINS, Sr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Niles, in the county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Opening Packs or Piles of Metal Plates, of which the following is a specification.

My invent-ion relates to improvements in machines for opening packs or piles of metal plates.

In the process of manufacturing steel lates, the steel is rolled down to a cert-ain t iickness and is then folded or doubled upon itself several times a-nd the entire pack or pile is afterwards rolled, thereby reducing the thickness of each sheet uniformly until the individual sheets are the required thick- This operation, it is understood is done while the pack or pile is hot and as a result of the combined heat and rolling vunder the heavy pressure to reduce the sheets, they become firmly fastened together, partially vdue to the very intimate. contact between the adjacent plates and partially to the fact that the small project-ions and irregularities of the platos, are so locked together, it requires considerable force to separate these plates.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine of this character in which such piles or packs heretofore described can be readily run therethrough and the sheets sepa-rated without injury thereto and at the same time providing a machine in which the piles or packs can be continuously fed one after the other in one side of the machine and delivered from the opposite side.

- Another object of my invention is to provide a machine in which the dies are so arranged and so operated that a quick powerful blow is imparted thereto and providing means whereby the piles or packs will not stick in the female die and a conveyor so arranged that a crimp is made in the pack or pile and then moved along a short distance to bring the die at a different point on the pack or pile to form another crimp and the dies will also fla-tten out to a certain degree the previously made crimp and whereby the sheets are more efectively separated. A still further object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap and effective machine of this character having certain details of structure and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described.

Serial No. 461,539.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of my improved machine. i

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1 looking from the delivery side of the machine.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken onthe line 3 3 Figure 2.

Figure at is an enlarged perspective view of the male die showing the wearing face detached therefrom.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the dies and showing a modi.- iied `form of springs for operating the same.

Referring now to the drawings 1 represents theframe of my improved machine, which as shown in the drawings is of a rectangular form and made of metal of any desired form, to form a strong and solid supipo'rt for the working partsof the machine so that it will withstand the jar of the dies, as they operate upon the stacks or piles to `form the crimp or crimps therein. Carried by the sides of the frame adjacent the rear end, are the two brackets 3 and 4f in which is journaled the roller. 5. The opposite side of the frameis provided with the bearings 7 and 8 in which is journaled the roller 9. The shaft 10 of the roller 9 extends forwardly through the elongated bearing 7 and has keyed thereon the bevel gear 11, meshing with the bevel Vgear 12 keyed upon the shaft 13 which extends transversely through the i frame and journaled therein to rotate. The opposite end of the shaft 13 is provided With a gear 14 meshing with the gear 15 carried by the motor 16 and whereby the shaft may be continuously rotated. While I have shown this specific manner of driving the shaft 13, it will be understood that the shaft 13 could bedriven in any desired manner as this forms no part of my invention.

The sides 2 and 6 of the frame 1 are provided with cutaway portions or openings 17 between the brackets or bearings carried thereby, to allow for the passage of the endless belt or conveyor 18 through the machine, and as shown the belt 18 passes aroundV the rollers 5 and 6. Above the endless belt or conveyor, thev sides of the frame are provided with plates forming guides for the packs or.l piles of plates, so that they may be supported and conveyed on edge through the machine during the opening operation. the guides 19 and 2O at the delivery end of the conveyor are close together. while the guide 21 is separated or arranged at an angle to the guide 22, to form a wide open mouth to allow of the ready feeding of the packs of sheets into the machine.

Carried by the rear end of the machine is the stationary female die 23, the lower edge of which is in a horizontal plane slightly above the upper face of the belt or conveyor 13 and the front face of the die ending at a point midway between the guides above the conveyor, whereby the piles or packs of sheets, as they are conveyed through the machine by the conveyor 18, abut or come close to the female die. The outer or working face of the die above the belt or conveyor is made of a separate piece, so that it can readily be replaced when worn and can be made of harder steel as it receives all the wear. This working face :24 is secured to the body of the die by a dovetail connection 25 as fully shown in Figure 2. The working face of the female die is provided with a. v shaped groove extending from the top to the bottom thereof and intersecting said groove is a horizontal passage 2T in which is arranged a spring pressed plunger 28 which is adapted to force the pack or pile of sheets from the recess or groove, should it have a tendency to stick therein after the male die has moved forward and thus allow the pilesor stacks to be readily carried across the machine by the conveyor.

The male die 29 is in horizontal guideways in horizontal alinement 'with the female die. The outer working face 30 of the male die is secured to the body portion by the dove-tail connection 30 and is provided with the vertical V shaped projection 31 of a size to enter the groove Q6 in the female die'. The upper and lower edges of the male die are provided with outwardly extending brackets 32 and 33 to which are connected the springs 34 and 35 which have their opposite ends connected. to the eye-bolts 37 and 3S adjustably connected to the brackets 39 and 40 carried by the frame 1. By this structure it will be seen that the springs normally hold the male die in contact with the female die and the tension of the springs can be readily varied when working on packs or pile of sheets of different thicknesses.

The forward end of the movable male member of the die, has pivotally connected thereto the links 40 and 41, which extend forward and are pivotally connected to the levers 42 and 43 intermediate their ends. The said levers are outwardly pressed by the springs 44 and 45, so that the lower ends will normally be held in engagement with the double cams 46 and 47 carried by the shaft 13 so that upon each rotation of the shaft the male die is moved forward twice.

Instead of having the springs pulling upon the male die as heretofore described I can provide the male die with a series of recesses 48 in the rear wall as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. Seated in said recesses are springs 51 which have their opposite ends seated in the recesses in the transverse bar 52 carried by the frame 1, whereby the mali.l die is pushed into contact with the female die.

T he operation of the machine is as follows. The motor or other driving means is started, which rotates the shaft 13 and the cam members 46 and 47 engage the lower ends of the levers 42 and 43 and force them forward, causing the male die to move away from theI female die. The pack or pile of sheets having been placed upon the conveyo 1'13 and this being continuously driven through the bevel. gears 11 and '12 and the shaft 10, the packs or piles are moved on edge between the dies. ITv/Then the shaft has rotated a certain part of a revolution, the levers slip off of the cams and the springs pull or push the male die forward with a quick powerful movement, causing the projection carried thereby,

to force the pack or pile of sheets into the recess in the female die and form a crimp or corrugation in the pack of sheets. The continued rotation of the shaft 13 causes the male die to be receded and `during this op-` a female die arranged horizontally and extending partially over the conveyor', a movable male die cooperating with the female die, and means for simultaneously operatin the conveyor and the male die. f

2, A machine of the character described, comprising a frame, an endless transverse conveyor, a female die in a plane above the conveyor and extending partially over the same, a spring pressed male die cooperating with the female die, and mean's'for continuously operating the conveyor and moving the male die against the tension of the springs away from the female die and releasing it allowing it to snap back against the female die.

3. A machine of the character described, comprising a frame, a transverse conveyor, a female die in a plane above the conveyor and extending partially over the same, a male die and a spring plunger in the female die for forcing the stamped article from the same.

4. A metal crimping machine, comprising a female die having a groove therein, a spring pressed plunger carried by the female die and intersecting said groove, and a lmale die having a projection entering said groove in the female die.

A machine of the character described, comprising a frame, a transverse endless conveyor carried by the frame, a female die in a plane above the conveyor and extending partially over the same and having a vertical groove therein, a spring pressed plunger intersecting said groove, and a male die having a projection corresponding to the groove and means for simultaneously moving the conveyor and the male die.

6. A machine of the character described, comprising a frame. a transverse endless conveyor carried by the frame, a female die in a plane above the conveyor and extending partially over the same, a spring pressed male die normally held against the female die by springs, and meansI for moving the male die away from the female die against the tension of thespring and releasing it suddenly allowing the springs to return it and means for simultaneously driving said conveyor.

7, A machine of the character described, comprising a frame, a transverse endless conveyor carried b-y t-he frame, a female die in a plane above the conveyor and extending partially over the same, a removable die face therefor, a male die having a removable face to engage the female die, means for ope-rating said male di-e and means for simultaneously operating said conveyor.

S. A machine of the character described, comprising frame, a transverse endless conveyor carried by the frame` a driven shaft carried by the frame, a gearing between the driven shaft and the conveyor, a female die above the conveyor and extending over the same, a male die movable transverse the conveyor, springs holdingI the male die in engagement with the female die, cams carried by the driven shaft, levers pivoted at their upper ends and their lower ends in engagement with the cams, and links connecting the male die and the levers intermediate their ends whereby the die is moved against the tension of the springs and suddenly released as described.

9. A machine of the character described, comprising a frame, a transverse endless conveyor carried by the frame, a gearing Vbetween the shaft and the conveyor for continuously driving the same, a female die above the conveyor and extending over the same, and having a vertical groove therein, a spring pressed plunger carried by the die and intersecting the groove, a male die movable transverse the conveyor, springs normally holding the die in engagement with the female die, cams carried by the driven shaft, levers pivoted at their upper ends and their lower ends in engagement with said cams, and links connected to the male die and the levers intermediate their ends whereby the male die is moved against the tension of the springs and suddenly released to allow the male die to be rapidly driven against the female die.

l0, A machine of the character described, comprising a frame, a transverse conveyor carried by the frame, a female die in a plane above the conveyor and extending partially over the same, a male die adapted to engage the female die, means for operating said male die, and means for simultaneously operating said conveyor.

1l. A machine of the character described, comprising a frame, a transverse conveyor, a female die in a plane above the conveyor and extending partially over the same, a male die and a quick release spring means for forcing the male die in engagement with the female die.

l2. A machine of the character described, comprising a frame, a transverse conveyor, a female die in a. plane above the conveyor and extending partially over the same, a male die, and spring means for forcing the male die in engagement with the female die.

18. A machine of the character described, comprising a frame, a transverse conveyor, a female die in a plane'above the conveyor and extending partially over the same, a spring pressed male die cooperating with the female die, and a quick release for the spring pressed male die to allow it to snap baclr against the female die.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM L. JENKINs, sa.

lVitnesses E. N. EVANS, GWYLIM DAVIES. 

